§ Mr. Traceyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make an order under section 143 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 increasing maximum summary fines.
§ Mr. BrittanI intend to lay an order before the House during March to take effect on 1 May 1984. The order will double all the various sums which I am empowered to increase by section 143(2) of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980. Those sums are currently set at July 1977 values, and the order takes account of inflation since then. All maximum summary fines will be increased and the new levels of the standard scale of summary maxima which I am proposing are:
Level on the scale Present amount£ New amount£ 1 25 50 2 50 100 3 200 400 4 500 1,000 5 1,000 2,000 The order will also increase other related sums. Copies of a circular which I am issuing to the courts today, explaining the changes in more detail, have been placed in the Library of the House.